Managing the skin manifestations of systemic conditions

Skin complications of systemic diseases are common in general practice, as diseases in every organ system can have skin symptoms. Additionally, the majority of the systemic medications used in the treatment of various conditions have a list of potential side effects involving the skin, for example, rashes, pruritus and urticaria. Alternatively, they might exacerbate existing skin conditions, for example, live vaccines for shingles or beta-blockers for psoriasis.

Patients presenting with skin conditions represent 24% of all GP appointments requiring medical intervention (Schofield et al, 2011). It is particularly difficult for patients to come to terms with a skin condition, as the majority of treatments are topical applications of leave-on medication, leading to considerable discomfort. Further, one of the main symptoms of most skin conditions—itching as well as the reaction of scratching—can be very distressing as it can take over the patient's life, leading to loss of sleep and detrimentally affecting quality of life.